Stefanidi Wins Euro Title

Ekaterini Stefanidi  '12 won the women's pole vault at the European Championships, setting a meet record to highlight track and field action for Stanford-affiliated athletes over the weekend. Stefanidi, competing for Greece, cleared 15-9 ¼ to win the gold medal Saturday at Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium.

In other action, her former Stanford teammate, Kori Carter '14, was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles Sunday on the final day of the U.S. Olympic Trials, missing an Olympic berth by one place. Sara Bei Hall '05 was 14th in the women's 5,000 final. And Stanford's Daniel Brady, who recently completed his sophomore year, was third in the men's 400 hurdles at the Canadian championships Friday in a personal record time.

Stefanidi, the 2012 NCAA indoor and outdoor champion, cleared her first three heights on her first try. It was the last of those clearances, at 15-5, that won the competition. The only vaulter to clear that height was Germany's Lisa Ryzih, who needed two tries, giving Stefanidi the edge on fewer misses.

Ryzih ended her day because of a hamstring issue, clinching the victory for Stefanidi, who won silver at the biennial competition in 2014. Stefanidi passed at 15-7 before 15-9 ¼, which she cleared on her third attempt. Three tries at 16-2 ½ were unsuccessful.

"I am ecstatic to win and to get the championship record," she said. "It's huge."

Afterward, Greek president Prokopis Pavlopoulos issued a statement congratulating Stefanidi:

"Your top European performance, which is added to your many great successes, honors Greece and your generation and makes us feel especially proud, both for your abilities as for your future prospects. Our warmest congratulations and wishes for strength, particularly ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio."

Stefanidi, who set her personal record 16-0 3/4 while winning the Millrose Games indoors in New York earlier this year, is among two former Stanford athletes to have clinched an Olympic track and field berth. The other is Justine Fedronic '13, who will run the women's 800 for France. Both live and train in the U.S.

Carter, the 2013 NCAA 400 hurdles champ, gave a valiant effort in the U.S. Trials final in Eugene. Carter was locked in a tight race behind leader Delilah Muhammad for the remaining top-three spots down the homestretch. An exhausted Carter lost some ground over the final two hurdles, but clawed her way to the finish and dived across the line in an effort to catch third-place Sydney McLaughlin. Carter ran 54.47, but was unsuccessful in securing the final Olympic spot.

Hall ran 15:54.99 in the 5,000, but was never truly in contention in a race dominated by Molly Huddle, though Hall's teammate at Bishop Montgomery High in Santa Rosa, Kim Conley, captured third.

In Edmonton, Brady ran a lifetime best 51.96 to finish in a top-three Olympic qualifying position for Canada, but was short of the Olympic qualifying standard of 49.40 and will not go to Rio. However, Brady's time crushed his previous best of 52.36 and earned him the No. 10 spot on Stanford's all-time performers' list, knocking out Tim Collins, who ran 52.15 in 1988, from the all-time list.